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Pseudonym has its origins in the Greek adjective pseudōnymos, which means “bearing a false name.” French speakers adopted the Greek word as the noun pseudonyme, and English speakers later modified the French word into pseudonym. Many celebrated authors have used pseudonyms. Samuel Clemens wrote under the pseudonym “Mark Twain,” Charles Lutwidge Dodgson assumed the pseudonym “Lewis Carroll,” and Mary Ann Evans used “George Eliot” as her pseudonym.
Examples of pseudonym in a Sentence
Mark Twain is the pseudonym of the American writer Samuel L. Clemens.
the most notorious serial killer of the 19th century remains known only by the pseudonym of Jack the Ripper
Recent Examples on the Web
Most fans in her factory are broken, said the 39-year-old, using a pseudonym to speak freely without fear of reprisal.
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Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
Most fans in her factory are broken, said the 39-year-old, using a pseudonym to speak freely without fear of reprisal.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
What the lawsuit alleged The lead plaintiff in the Bank of America case, who filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe, is a native of Russia who met Epstein in 2011.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
Journalists from mainstream publications leaked real stories that wouldn’t fly elsewhere and sometimes wrote under pseudonyms.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
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Jasmin Malik Chua, Footwear News, 1 Apr. 2026
Most fans in her factory are broken, said the 39-year-old, using a pseudonym to speak freely without fear of reprisal.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Mar. 2026
What the lawsuit alleged The lead plaintiff in the Bank of America case, who filed under the pseudonym Jane Doe, is a native of Russia who met Epstein in 2011.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 28 Mar. 2026
Journalists from mainstream publications leaked real stories that wouldn’t fly elsewhere and sometimes wrote under pseudonyms.
—Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pseudonym
Cite this Entry
“Pseudonym.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pseudonym. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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